Shock-absorber.



H. W. OWEN.

SHOCK ABSORBER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE u, ma,

Patented Nov. 10. 1914,

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To all whom imag/concern: .l

Be it known' that I, HERBERT W.' WEN, a ,citizen of the United St-etes, residing .in Dover, county'of Stratford, 4and State of New Hampshire, have invented. lan Improvement in Shock-'Absorbers, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying,drawingsf is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like paltsl`-v .vt u .Y

The-invention )to be hereinafter described reiatesto automobiles or other vehicles, and more particularly to means for absorbing or nulli'fyingthe shocks and vibrations transmitted to 'the body as the automobile or Vehielepassesover Athe road. vBeide-ss of this character are known as shock absorbers andvarious attempts have been made heretofore to produce a -devioe'o-fthis generalchar-v acter that would be'effeeti'vein easing the shock' transmitted to thel passengers, espe. cially in traversing rough or uneven roads, but in all such prior attempts serious defects have been found to exist and the said devices `have either failed in the accomplishment of their full purpose, or have introduced other objections. v

The'aims and purposes of the present in# vention are to provide-a shock absorber for use. in connection with automobiles and other vehicles,` which shall be simple in construction, 'eiicient in absorbing shocks and vibrations in operation, and readily Iand easily adaptableito'any' ordinary vehicle, all as will appear from `the following drawings and accompanying"description of one form of means for carrying the invention into practical :effecg' it j-belng understood that. the actual invention isnot restrictedto the particulars'aiid Adetails shown, but that it may be varied and modified within the true scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

.ln the drawings :'-Figure l, is a side ele vation of sufiicient of the 'rear part of a vehicle or automobile to show the invention speci/canon o: Letters Patent, Application filed June 1l, 1913. rSerial No. 773,002.

j motions eitherwitht @much ri,

the otherha I any event', applied thereto; .-Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail g by those riding n, in side elevation, showingvone-conveniegt i aimsand;A

' Patented Nev. 1o, 1914.

' way of applying the invention; and Fig. 3 is a urtherdeta-llview showing the-rollers earriedbn one of the projections and the fexible strap in its normal relation thereto.

For convenience of description, the invention will be described "in connection with an automobile, and as Ydisposed in longitudinal relation therewith, but it is of course to be `understood that the invention is equally applicable to other vehicles and that it may be arranged invother Arelations than longitudi-v nally of thesame, all of whichwill herein- .after more fully appear.

The part 1 may be'of thev usual or any der -sired form of body, havingthe'seats 2 and 3, and mounted upon a suitablerunning gear including the wheels 4 and axles 5, all of .which may-be as usual. In the present illustration, only a portion o-the runningr gear is shown for thevpurpose vof avoiding complication, and as its particular structure` is not of the essence-'ofthe invention and is well understoo-dLby those skllle'din the art further elueidation thereof by drawings and 'de- :scription is unnecessary, Between the run ning gear and the body .1. are interposed.

springs, as usual, for easing the shocks and vibrationstransmitted to the body from the wheels as the vehicle or automobile passes over the road. In the present instance, one

of these springslis indicated at6,'but itis to be understood that so far as the invention is concerned the springs interposed'. between .the running gear andbodyfjnay form or type, and thatthey" in any appropriate a' '4 secured: ',:theif'bodv andV running gear, all aswell, xicl'erstood.'"-1Thev springs,l however, must be suflieiently' stiff to properly supprtfjtledoad icarriedby' the body, so that ,as the wheelsftravelover the road `and rise or fall in conformity with the road.' bed, the `'springs transmit these i l tv or on fort is experienced conten'iplate means to overcome or minimize the sudden shocks and vibrations transmitted to the body of the vehicle. As one form ci' means to this end the action of the usual springs is supplemented by aVA flexible strap which is brouO'ht into action by the relative rising or falling movements of the running geur and body to yieldingly over* come such relative moijements, as Willinow be explained in connection With the illustratod construction which presents a simple and convenient form of the invention.

Mounted on the body of the automobile or vehicle, preferably upon one of the longitudinal floor beams 7 thereof, is a projec tion or drop hanger 8 which may be secured to said beam by appropriate means such as the bolts indicated at 9. The projection or drop hanger 8 may be variously formed but in the illustrated construction it is provided with two arms 10 and 11 with a space between.. To one of the armes 10, is fixedly secured at 13, one end (iflexible'strap 12, the other end of said exiblc strap being connected to the body of the vehicle by means of a spring 14, the end portion 15 whereof may be properly threaded to engage the nuts 16 after the endpl of the spring has passed through the lug or drop hanger 17 secured tothe body of the vehicle or automobile. Obviously the spring may be adjusted to properly tension the strap 12 and While the illustrated construe` tion presents a gootJ practical form of this feature of the invention, it is to be understood that the spring might be otherwise arranged with res ect to the flexible strap, the essential in tliis respect being that a -sprin be employed in connection with the flexib e strap to maintain the strap under proper tension, preferably adjustable.

f Rising from the running gear of the automobile or vehicle and properly secured thereto by appropriate means, is e riser 18 which projects upwardly between the two arms 10 and 11 of the drop hanger. In the present illustration of the invention, the riser is shown as being maintainedV between thearms 10 and 11, but this is of course not essential, as will later a pear.

Projecting aterally from the riser 18 are the supporting bolts 19, 19 carrying the rollers Q0, 20, separated somewhat as indicatedpby Fig.- 3 and adapted to contain be tween them the running portion of the ilexible strap 12. As indicated by Fig. 3, it will be noted that the space between the rollers is greater than the thickness of the liexi ble strap l2 and that the exible strap, thus in normal condition of the parts, is not in engagement with either one of the roilersijy 20. The rollers '20 may be maintained iipon the supporting studs 19 in any appropriate manner, as by the cap-pieces 21,121, and in order to prevent the strap 12 from becoming disarranged with respect to the rollers 20, as indicated in Fig. 3, that is to prevent the strap from moving out from between the two rollers, there is preferably secured to and extending between the free end portions of the supporting studs 19, a limiting plate or v bar 22, which may be secured to the ends of the studs 19 by appropriatelmeans such as the nuts 23. f

The construction thus far described with respect to the flexible strap and its location between the appropriate projecting, portions connected to the running gear may be varied and modified in form, the essentials' be bent by it and' Y f i The arm 11 ot the dizophanger 8 is like-fi wise provided with promotions carrying suitable rollers 24 similar to those described with respect to the riser 18. The rollers 24 in the arm 11 ot' thedrop hanger are also disposed one above and one below the strap l2 between its end portions and, like the construction described for 4the riser 18, theA strap 12 may be retained in the studs between the rollers 24 by an appropriate detachable confining plate.

From the construction described, it will be apparent that in passing over the road the springs 6 interposed between the running gear and the body of the vehicle will act as usual to yieldingly support the body, and as the Vehicle passes over the road the running gear 'and body will, owing to the uneven character of the road, be subjected to rela-- tire vertical movements which will vary in their abruptness, according to the varying character ot' the road-bed. As the running gear and bod thus move relatively in a vertical direction, it willbe seen that the strap 12y will be engaged by one or the other of the projections or-rollers on the riser and on the arm 11 of thedrop hanger, tlierebydeflecting the tensioned belt 12in proportion to the relative vertical movementspf thebody and running gear. Since the bend thus iven 'to the flexible strap mustfact throng the tensioning means or spring 14, itis apparent that such relative vertical movement of 'the body and running gear either upward or downyvard, willbe yieldingly absorbed or overcome so that the occn antsof thelvehicle or automobile will be re ieved of thediscpmfort d'ue to the sudden change in direction ordinarily occurring under the use of spring 6 between the running gear and body.

It will be noted in its preferable form the invention contemplates that the flexible strapl 12 intermediate its ends shall be out of engagement with the projections or rolleiis 20 from the body and running ear, so that the springs interposed between t e body and running gear may assert without hindrance their usual functions to a limited extent, but should they transmit undue vibrations, such as are incident in going over a rough road, the projections or rollers 20 will at once engage the flexible strap 12 and by bending it reversely between the riser and arm 11 of the drop hanger, will yieldingly absorb the undue shocks and vibrations. It will be apparent also that while the invention may be conveniently and readily associated with an automobile, of any construction, by the simple devices hereinbefore described, such devices do not require any modification in the automobile construction, but may be applied readily by any one ordinarily skilled in mechanical matters. It will also be apparent that while the invention, as illustrated, shows the flexible strap extending longitudinally and drop hanger provided with the two arms secured to the body with a single riser projecting from the running gear, this arrangement may be varied and different forms of construction may be provided for supporting the flexible strap so that intermediate portions thereof shall pass between the projections extending from the body and running gear and act yieldingly upon the relative vertical movements of the body and running gear to overcome said movements, in all of which respects the invention in its true scope is defined by the claims.

What is claimed is 1. ln a'shoek absorber for automobiles, the combination of' the running gear, a body mounted thereon, springs interposed between the running gear andbody, a flexible strap, means for holding said strap under tension, projections carried by the running gear and body and normally out of contact with said strap, said projections being brought into engagement with said flexible strap between the end portions thereof to deflect an intermediate portion of said strap in opposite directions by relative vertical movement of said running gear and body to yieldingly overcome said vertical movement.

2. In a shock absorber for automobiles, the combination of the running gear and body, a projection extending from each of said parts, springs for supporting said body from the running gear, a spring tensioned flexible strap secured to one of said parts and passing between and normally out of contact with the projections on the running gear and body, said projections being brought into engagement with said flexible strap between its ends by abnormal relative vertical movement of said running gear and body to yieldingly overcome such relative vertical movement.

3. In a shock absorber for automobiles the combination of a running gear and body, springs interposed between the run ning gear and body for sup orting the latter, a flexible and tension strap secured to one of said parts, projections carried by both the'body and running gear and normally out of contact with said flexible strap, opposite projections of each pair being brought into engagement with said flexible strap to deflect adjacent portions of said fiexible strap in reverse directions by relative vertical movements of said runninfr gear and body to yieldingly overcome said relative movements.

4. In a shock absorber for automobiles, the combination of a body and running gear, springs fqr supporting the bod a flexible strap secured to the body, a rop hanger carried by the body and having portions disposed above and below the strap, a. riser extending from therunning gear adjacent to the drop hanger and having portions disposed above and below the strap, and means for tensioning the strap.

5. In a shock absorber for automobiles, the combination of a body and running gear, springs for supporting the former from the latter, a flexible strap, means for supporting the end portions of the strap, means for placing the strap under tension, a drop hanger extending from the body and having rollers one above and one below the strap, and a riser extending from the running gear and having rollers, one above and one below the strap adjacent the rollers of the drop hanger, said rollers acting on said flexible strap to defiect it in reverse directions by relative vertical movement of the body and running gear to yieldingly overcome such relative movements.

(i. In a shock absorber for automobiles, the combination or a body and running gear, springs for supporting the body from the running gear, a flexible strap extending substantially in a horizontal direction, a

spring for placing said strap under tension,.

arms extending from the body and running gear toward each other and having over` lapping end portions and projections eX- tending from the overlapping portions of said arms above and below the flexible strap to engage and reversely bend the flexible strap upon relative vertical movement of the running gear and body.

7. In a shock absorber for automobiles, the combination of a body and running gen@ .sp1-ings im* support-ing the body from :zubtnnfiuly in :x horizontal dirmwn, a spring fm' plmcmg Suid strap under nsion, anni: extending; :from the mdy and running; gear toward auch other and hwng mr 'from the Meriem H gumfms @i said :mus ix'mw :and bemv the wlbie Swap to er l0 und reve 'Saly bend the fluxbu Strap upm; relative vertical movement of the runnng gezuand. body, and means to retain iis@ tmp nb-mwen said pxojections.

n esinmuy whereof, I have signed my mmm w this spcciicution, in the presece 15 

